Linkage, Inc.http://mylinkage.com
Developing Leaders WorldwideThu, 30 Jul 2015 15:03:22 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.6Why I’m Here: The Power of Purposehttp://mylinkage.com/blog/why-im-here-the-power-of-purpose/
http://mylinkage.com/blog/why-im-here-the-power-of-purpose/#commentsThu, 30 Jul 2015 14:31:22 +0000http://mylinkage.com/?p=32442Read more]]>Recently, I found myself talking with my sons about purpose. I asked them, “What are you here for?” After a little explaining, I was confident that they understood the basics of what I meant by mission and purpose. I wanted to hear what they felt they were uniquely able to do. After some predictable answers from my 10- and 8-year-olds, my 5-year-old, Jack, confidently proclaimed, “Dad, obviously I am here to eat the ice cream at 16 Handles.”

Clearly, he got it!

Jack, with the clarity that only kids can muster, made me laugh about my serious question, but also caused me to rethink long-term and momentary purpose.

One week into my job as CEO at Linkage, I’ve been taking a page out of Jack’s book—remembering that sometimes purpose is a lifelong pursuit, but other times purpose is momentary.

At Linkage, my larger purpose is to amplify the impact we have on increasing the performance of leaders around the world. But without adding “in the moment” purpose, this is just a vague idea.

Here are five areas of momentary purpose at Linkage:

Strengths – Figuring out what we can do better than our peers and rivals. One of the things that attracted me to Linkage was the rich intellectual property we have, based on our work with thousands of companies over the last 25 years.

Complementary Experience – Our capability to connect the dots from a multitude of Linkage thought leaders allows us to develop strategies and plans to accelerate the development of leaders at organizations around the world.

Learning Journey – Learning from each of my team members what they are uniquely able to add to our organizational sweet spot. All the organizational aspiration in the world falls flat if individuals on a team aren’t self-motivated with that drive.

Determining – Developing – Delivering – Seamlessly providing what our clients need to improve leadership performance in their organizations and to solve their business challenges.

Growing a Business – Building all of this on the required foundation of growing a profitable business.

Easy, right? Much of the hard and rewarding work in achieving purpose happens behind the scenes; but here’s a peek at three key next steps:

Having many conversations with team members and clients, building on my curiosity about what makes individuals and organizations tick

Setting a mid- to long-term vision that is compelling enough to get team members and customers excited to work together on that path

Establishing simple frameworks to deliver on this direction and delight our partners and clients

So…why am I here? Ultimately, it is about going out to win every game we are in—and viewing each day as a chance to prepare and practice so that we can win these games. And, hopefully, to achieve a sense of both momentary and long-term purpose—whether you are charting a course for a company, or simply enjoying an ice cream with your kids.

]]>http://mylinkage.com/blog/why-im-here-the-power-of-purpose/feed/0Gift of GILD winner announcedhttp://mylinkage.com/blog/gift-of-gild-winner-announced/
http://mylinkage.com/blog/gift-of-gild-winner-announced/#commentsTue, 28 Jul 2015 19:47:36 +0000http://mylinkage.com/?p=32376Read more]]>Our Gift of GILD program gives our readers—like you—the opportunity to nominate a deserving colleague or friend to attend our Global Institute for Leadership Development® for free. We are proud to help you recognize the people that inspire you by awarding a deserving individual with the opportunity to participate in this transformational learning experience. And when we receive glowing nominations like we did from Suzy Elliott’s colleagues at Valero’s Wilmington Refinery in Los Angeles, California, it’s even more special.

Suzy is the Human Resources Director at Valero Wilmington Refinery. Her colleagues describe her as an “inspiration to many people around her.” As well as being “known as a big-picture, strategic thinker who provides a true ‘seat at the leadership table’ among her peers that are traditionally educated as chemical engineers. Her enthusiasm is contagious and at times quite charismatic. She’s earned every opportunity and never takes anything for granted. She helps many people, both financially and by sharing her time. Suzy is an amazing individual that people friend for a lifetime.”

So, congratulations, Suzy, on winning the Gift of GILD! That’s a resounding endorsement, and we can’t wait to hear about your experience.

The good news is not everyone needs to be nominated to go to GILD, and it’s not too late to register. So what are you waiting for?

In this webinar Dr. Serhat TATLI will introduce innovative change strategies to boost corporate performance. Based on his extensive entrepreneurial and executive experience, he will shed new light on the many reasons why so many change initiatives commonly fail, and he will present his audience with innovative ways inspired from startups—but universally applicable across company sizes and industries—to transform your business for greater results.

As a participant in this session, you will:

• Understand the root causes of failures in change initiatives
• Learn to minimize the risks associated with your change programs
• Take a peek at the newest marketing trends and management philosophies used by leading organizations worldwide

Presenter

Dr. Serhat TATLI is an Entrepreneur, Doctor For Change, and former CEO of Tekofaks/Panasonic. Follow him on Twitter @SerhatTatli76.

]]>http://mylinkage.com/blog/dont-miss-next-weeks-webinar-change-leadership-next-generation-strategies-to-boost-performance/feed/0Beware of the #1 killer of inclusionhttp://mylinkage.com/blog/beware-of-the-1-killer-of-inclusion/
http://mylinkage.com/blog/beware-of-the-1-killer-of-inclusion/#commentsFri, 24 Jul 2015 15:49:52 +0000http://mylinkage.com/?p=32312Read more]]>As we work to help our clients understand unconscious bias and ensure that the actions that leaders take are in support of—not preventing—an inclusive culture, we help them take positive steps to produce better bottom-line results. In our work, we’ve also seen self-righteous indignation, or said another way, grandiosity, squelch inclusion. Grandiosity is the belief that “I know best.”

We’ve all felt this way from time to time but self-righteousness kills the compassion and curiosity needed to show interest in other people. And needless to say, that’s bad for business.

Take Sally for example, who recently came to my office complaining about how Bill (names have been changed for anonymity) “just doesn’t get it.” Sally, without asking Bill questions about his point of view, had determined that Bill’s thinking and suggestions were “wrong.” Since Sally was stuck in her own version of being “right,” it was impossible for her to work with Bill to solve the problem at hand.

I cite this example because I write and talk regularly about “Coaching Your Inner Critic.” And most assume my work is primarily involved with helping individuals overcome that voice in our head that tells us that we are notenough or that we “should” or “shouldn’t have (fill in the blank).” Most associate their Inner Critic with feelings of shame and worthlessness.

But the reality is the “not enough” voice of our Inner Critic is only one aspect. The other and, I believe, far more destructive and pervasive (and not talked about) enemy of inclusion is the opposite extreme—indignantly thinking we know better and looking down our nose at others whose opinions and contributions we long ago decided was not worth our time.

So, organizations that are serious about developing cultures of inclusion need to help equip leaders at all levels with the capacity to see and own their grandiose thinking and then pause before it kicks in and impacts their success to drive results. It’s easier said than done, but the most inclusive and effective leaders are those who can pause and then coach themselves into a place where they can meet others—especially those whom they judge, don’t understand or may not relate to—with respect.

A culture of inclusion is a result of specific actions and inactions by the people in the organization. As leaders, paying attention to our own moments of dismissive and often harsh judgment of others is where we need to start. Only then can we learn from and engage with all of the awesome different perspectives around us.

Do you see grandiosity in the people you work with? Is your self-righteous indignation preventing inclusion around you? If you can answer yes to either question, your organization isn’t as inclusive or as successful as it could be. Learn more here.

]]>http://mylinkage.com/blog/beware-of-the-1-killer-of-inclusion/feed/0Leadership “training” is not enoughhttp://mylinkage.com/blog/leadership-training-is-not-enough/
http://mylinkage.com/blog/leadership-training-is-not-enough/#commentsThu, 23 Jul 2015 13:30:41 +0000http://mylinkage.com/?p=28849Read more]]>A popular definition for learning is “a change in behavior based upon experience.” But the problem with this definition is that managers and leaders often believe that “training” is the same as “learning.” Nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that training is only a precursor for learning.

What turns any training program into real learning is application. Managing/leading is not a spectator sport, and while we create and apply theories that suggest performance gains or behavior changes, we have to follow up to assess and prove that learning did in fact occur. And when training is closely tied to performance objectives (not just training objectives), a manager is in a much better position to judge the ROI of any training program.

Performance gains are always achieved through experience, and the more realistic a training environment is (i.e. where actual failure is a real option) the more likely the student will be able to apply the training. As they say “hindsight is 20/20,” so failing or underachieving at a task is often the best teacher.

Examples of such environments exist in military forces across the globe. Special Forces teams, combat pilots, and other roles requiring critical behaviors experience extreme “training conditions” before they are allowed in the “real world.” Medical interns go through years of education and training but are not fully qualified until they are engaged in the real world where they apply their training and truly learn what it means to be a doctor.

In real estate the mantra is “location, location, location.” In training the mantra should always be “experience, experience, experience.”

The question is: Do you have training objectives or learning objectives?

]]>http://mylinkage.com/blog/leadership-training-is-not-enough/feed/0Leadership insight from the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equalityhttp://mylinkage.com/blog/leadership-insight-from-the-supreme-court-ruling-on-marriage-equality/
http://mylinkage.com/blog/leadership-insight-from-the-supreme-court-ruling-on-marriage-equality/#commentsWed, 22 Jul 2015 13:25:49 +0000http://mylinkage.com/?p=32196Read more]]>We here at Linkage talk about privilege—the rights, exemptions, and benefits we receive just because of our life experiences—in our Inclusive Leadership practice, a lot. We talk about it because leaders need to understand the privileges each of us has in order to create an inclusive environment.

For example, have you ever heard someone effectively say, “Your opinion is wrong or doesn’t count because you’re not: a woman, a person of color, a child of an alcoholic, suffering from pain, a CEO, etc.? That’s privilege. They’ve discounted you because they have experienced something you haven’t. And privilege itself isn’t the issue. Even the most marginalized have privilege. The problem is when privilege is used to close off conversation versus opening it. But it’s only through open dialogue, curiosity, and learning that inclusive cultures are created. Therefore, whether its race, sexual orientation, country of origin, education, or life experiences we have had, each of us has some sort of privilege over those who are different. Now that the Supreme Court ruling has made gay marriage constitutional, I am acutely aware of my privilege around LGBT rights.

I was raised in San Francisco where the LGBT community was part of my everyday life. My first experiences with gay people were positive, nurturing, and safe. As a result, I’m an ally for my LGBT family, friends, and community. I don’t have to reconcile internally my beliefs about homosexuality. I don’t have to worry about how I will explain gay marriage to my kids when we’ve raised them to believe marriage is between a man and a woman. I don’t struggle with the ruling at all. I celebrate it. That is privilege because my feelings and experiences are not true for everyone.

What we do with our privilege is what’s so important. When privilege is used to open conversations it can be powerful. Unfortunately, we tend to close conversations with our privilege more often than we open them.

An example of this occurred at our recent Intensive on Leading Inclusively in Atlanta. During an exercise a group worked on a case that was similar to what happened in Ferguson, Missouri, last spring. During the conversation, one of the participants, who lived in St. Louis and therefore experienced Ferguson, recognized that he “shut down” another participant because of the privilege he felt from living through the experience. When a participant in his group shared his experiences of the event from his perspective he said, “What are you talking about? You weren’t there.” Even though the tone he used was kind, the conversation stopped there.

Because of our earlier conversations about privilege, he quickly recognized what he had done and that the group would have missed the opportunity for open dialogue. By sharing this with the entire audience, he hoped that others would learn from his experience. In the end, the group had a rich and honest discussion where all members felt included.

I’m conscious that we unintentionally use our privilege to shut down conversations all the time. So when I speak about gay marriage or LGBT rights I am mindful of what I say. I take time to ensure that I use my positive experiences, privilege, to open conversations, not close them.

In our research, the best leaders are often the most inclusive ones. They recognize their privilege, mitigate the negative impacts of it, and use it to pull people into open dialogue whenever possible.

Want to learn more about yourself? Watch this short video. It does a fantastic job of illustrating what privilege is and how pervasive it is.

Then ask yourself: What privileges do I have? And how can I put them to good use? Please share your thoughts and insight with us below.

]]>http://mylinkage.com/blog/leadership-insight-from-the-supreme-court-ruling-on-marriage-equality/feed/1Getting to know GILD® faculty member Nando Parradohttp://mylinkage.com/blog/getting-to-know-gild-faculty-member-nando-parrado/
http://mylinkage.com/blog/getting-to-know-gild-faculty-member-nando-parrado/#commentsTue, 21 Jul 2015 17:00:00 +0000http://mylinkage.com/?p=32289Read more]]>Longtime Linkage faculty member Nando Parrado was 20 years old in 1972 when the plane he, his mother, sister, and rugby teammates were on crashed in the Andes mountains. He and his fellow survivors then faced 72 days of bone-chilling cold, avalanches and starvation that forced them to make choices no person should ever have to make.

In addition to being a lesson in human survival, Nando’s inspirational story provides leadership lessons for the survival of organizations; the same skills that were needed to survive in the Andes—leadership, teamwork, motivation, crisis management, change, planning and strategy, and coping with fear—are critical to organizational success. In this short clip, hear his firsthand account of his daunting journey of survival.

In this webinar Dr. Serhat TATLI will introduce innovative change strategies to boost corporate performance. Based on his extensive entrepreneurial and top executive experience, he will shed new light on the many reasons why so many change initiatives commonly fail, and he will present his audience with innovative ways inspired from startups—but universally applicable across company sizes and industries—to transform your business for greater results.

As a participant in this session, you will:

• Understand the root causes of failures in change initiatives
• Learn to minimize the risks associated with your change programs
• Take a peek at the newest marketing trends and management philosophies used by leading organizations worldwide

Presenter

Dr. Serhat TATLI is an Entrepreneur, Doctor For Change, and former CEO of Tekofaks/Panasonic. Follow him on Twitter @SerhatTatli76.

Taking the time to clarify an approach in each coaching relationship is essential to unlocking superior performance and enduring success for a leader. Why? Because the outcomes of any coaching engagement are intricately tied to the unique orientation, process, and choice of tools leveraged in the coaching dynamic. In this third webinar of a four-part series, Linkage consultant Wesley Dorsett discusses a few core components of high-impact coaching in today’s results-driven and rapidly changing world.

]]>http://mylinkage.com/blog/webinar-must-haves-to-successfully-coach-and-empower-todays-organizational-leaders/feed/0Want innovative answers to complex problems? Ask “What?” not “Why?”http://mylinkage.com/blog/want-innovative-answers-to-complex-problems-ask-what-not-why/
http://mylinkage.com/blog/want-innovative-answers-to-complex-problems-ask-what-not-why/#commentsFri, 17 Jul 2015 13:30:17 +0000http://mylinkage.com/?p=32202Read more]]>In his recent HBR article titled “Innovation Starts with the Heart, Not the Head,” leadership expert and Linkage faculty alumni Gary Hamel shares how the CEO of a healthcare company helped transform his entire organization by asking a simple question: “What would happen if our associates brought their hearts, as well as their professional skills, to work?”

He asked the question because the company had received low patient satisfaction scores and he was looking to find an innovative solution in spite of the fact that they didn’t have cash reserves for big investments in staff or patient amenities. He knew the answer had to come from within the organization and from each and every associate. The short answer is the scores went up when people started bringing their hearts to the job. Read the full article to see how they did it.

I love this story because of the question he asked. Many leaders attempt to solve a problem by asking why? “Why are we falling behind in sales? Why is our customer satisfaction score low? Why aren’t we meeting our diversity and inclusion goals? Why is our turnover so high?” While there may be good and legitimate answers to these “why?” questions (after all there is always a reason why), they are in essence, backward looking.

Conversations that come from asking why often become accusatory, blame seeking, and replete with conflicting data. These actions may remedy the status quo but do little to move the company forward and even less to promote innovation. Innovation doesn’t always require huge investments, months of market research, or an army of specialists. It does, however, require solving problems and providing value to customers and constituents.

The difference for this healthcare company was how the CEO simply asked, “What would happen if…” It’s the most powerful way to begin understanding the difference between the current state and some future state an organization wants to achieve. Asking “What would happen if…” moves the problem statement into a possibility orientation where multiple actions, from simple to complex, emerge. Everyone in the organization can answer the question. Each response offers a perspective that is unique and credible based upon how the respondent is situated.

“What would happen if…” questions take the respondent very quickly to a place of impact, a place different from where they are to where they could be. The question also incorporates the idea that the answer come from the individual first and not from best practices or another round of customer surveys. The answers reside within each individual.

Try this. Ask yourself a “What would happen if…”question. Fill in the blank in support of achieving an organizational objective. Always focus on results. Ask your closest work associate to do the same. Ask your direct reports, peers, and others to do the same. See the possibilities emerge?